Selected Individual Responses: Khangsar_MF1
Interview carried out on 17th June at 9:30 a.m. Audio recording with Marantz PMD660 and Audio-Technica omnidirectional stereo hand- held microphone General and Personal Information
1. What is your age? 56
2. What is your mother-tongue? Manange
3. Where were you born and raised? Ward number-9, Khangsar village
4. Where were your parents born/raised? Father born and raised in Upper Manang Mother born and raised in Khangsar
5. What language(s) did you use with your parents when you were a child? Manange
6. If you had siblings, what language(s) did you use with them when you were growing up? Manange
7. What language(s) did you use with friends/peers when you were growing up? Manange
8. Did you attend school as a child? If so, in what language(s) did you study? No formal education
9. If you are married now, and if you have children, in what language(s) do you speak to your family? She used to speak in Manange when her husband was alive, Nepali and Manange to children
10. What language(s) do you now use in your everyday life? Nepali for farming, Manange and Nepali both in the hotel.
11. Are your parents living now? What are/were their mother tongues? What language(s) did you use with them? Father passed away and Mother is living Father: Upper Manang Manange Mother: Khangsar Manange I spoke Manange
12. Do you have siblings? If so, are you the eldest, the youngest, or in the middle? I am one of three, I am the eldest
13. As a child, what language(s) did you speak with your siblings? Manange
14. As a child, what language(s) did you speak with your friends? Manange
15. And now? Are you married and do you have children? Married and have 3 children
16. What language(s) do you speak with your spouse? With your children? She used to speak in Manange when her husband was alive, Nepali and Manange to children
17. Did you receive formal education as a child? In what language(s)? No formal education
18. What is your occupation? What language(s) do you use in your occupation? I am a farmer and run a hotel; My language use depends on context, either Nepali or Manange
Subjective Contemporary
19. In which village in Manang is Manange spoken regularly? Pisang, Ghyaru, Nwagal,Braga,Manang,Tanki
20. In which village in Manang is Nar-Phu spoken regularly? Nar-Phu
21. In which village in Manang is Gurung spoken regularly? Tace,Otargaun,Nace (In lower Manange)
22. In which village in Manang is Gyalsumdo spoken regularly? Thonce, Chame, Bagarchhap,Tal
23. In which village in Manang is Tibetan spoken regularly? There is no Tibetan language
24. In which village in Manang is Nepali spoken regularly? No fixed place
25. In which village in Manang do people speak exactly like you? Manang
26. In your opinion, in which villages is your own mother tongue spoken most purely? Manang and Khangsar
27. In which villages in Manang do people speak just a little bit differently from you? Braga and Pisang (small differences)
28. If somebody wants to learn your mother tongue, which village would be the best location for them to learn? Manang and Khangsar
29. If you meet someone from Nar village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands some
30. If you meet someone from Phu village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands some
31. If you meet someone from Manang village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
32. If you meet someone from Braga village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
33. If you meet someone from Ngawal village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
34. If you meet someone from Ghyaru village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
35. If you meet someone from Khangsar village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
36. If you meet someone from Pisang village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands all
37. If you meet someone from Chame village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands some
38. If you meet someone from Tal village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands little
39. If you meet someone from Nace village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands little
40. If you meet someone from Otargaun village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands little
41. If you meet someone from Thonce village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands some
42. If you meet someone from Thace village for the first time and s/he speaks his/her own mother tongue, how well do you understand him/her? Understands little
43. In addition to your own mother tongue, which of these local and national/international languages can you speak and how well?
Manange Fluent Nar-Phu Not at all Gurung Not at all Gyalsumdo Somewhat Tibetan Few words Nepali Fluent English Not at all Other
44. Currently in almost all Manang schools, the language of instruction is Nepali (with some English). Would the use of your mother tongue in local schools be helpful or hurtful/a hindrance to children? It will be helpful.
45. If you want to get ahead financially, how useful is your mother tongue? It’s not useful.
46. In your opinion, will your mother tongue still have children learners in future generations (using 30 years from now as a guidepost)? It will not continue.
47. What can, or should, people do to keep your mother tongue spoken for future generations? Parents should encourage their children to talk in their mother tongue.
48. Is your mother tongue important for education? It is very important.
49. Is your mother tongue important for cultural traditions, celebrations, expressions? It is very important.
50. Should Nepal have only one language (Nepali) for official use (in banks, government offices, the media, etc.)? There should be place for other languages too. As older people don’t know to communicate in Nepali.
51. Should children be able to decide for themselves which language they want to learn and use at home? Yes, learning Manange should be compulsory.
52. How many languages do you think are spoken in Manang District (excluding Nepali)? There are many languages of and in Manang